Mortgage lender · Damariscotta, ME · LEI 5493002J7RM1JLAXN553

First National Bank review: approval odds, rates and grade (2025)

First National Bank earns a C, in line with the typical performance of small mortgage lenders. It turned down 9.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025, which ranks in the 50th percentile for approval odds. Its median loan was priced 0.30 points above the average prime offer rate, ranking in the 46th percentile on pricing. Compared against 1,883 small mortgage lenders using 2025 HMDA filings.

910Applications2025
79.3%Originatedof applications
9.9%Decision denial ratenational 22.6%
7.50%Median ratenational 6.63%
$182MLoan volume2 states

First National Bank at a glance, 2025

Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.

8.8%Denial rate (all applications)-9.19 pts vs national
9.9%Denial rate (decided applications)-12.71 pts vs national
79.3%Origination rate+21.31 pts vs national
10.4%Withdrawn by applicant
0.6%Closed for incompleteness
7.50%Median interest rate+0.88 pts vs national
0.30Median rate spread (pts over APOR)+0.04 pts vs national
$165,000Median loan amount
$3,629Median total loan costs
$104kMedian applicant income
63%Median loan-to-value
0High-cost (HOEPA) loans

How the C grade breaks down

Each component is a percentile rank among 1,883 small mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.

Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%

50th9.9% denied

Pricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%

46th0.30 pts

Processwithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%

53rd11.0%

Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%

40th2.20% of loan

Trend, 2023–2025

YearApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateDecision denialMedian rateVolume
20239377856.9%7.6%7.75%$174M
20249037258.6%9.6%8.13%$171M
20259107228.8%9.9%7.50%$182M

What First National Bank lends

Applications by purpose and loan type in 2025, with the denial rate for each. A lender's mix explains a lot of its headline rate: HELOCs and FHA loans are denied far more often than conventional purchase loans.

By loan purpose

Home purchase 377 41% · 5.8% denied
Refinance 148 16% · 11.5% denied
Cash-out refinance 12 1% · 0.0% denied
Home improvement 200 22% · 10.0% denied
Other / HELOC 173 19% · 12.1% denied

By loan type

Conventional 892 98% · 8.7% denied
VA 7 1% · 14.3% denied
USDA / RHS 11 1% · 9.1% denied

Also: 345 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 98 manufactured homes, 122 investment properties.

Why First National Bank denies applications

Primary reason reported for each of the 80 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.

Debt-to-income ratio 53 66%
Credit history 11 14%
Collateral 5 6%
Other 4 5%
Unverifiable information 4 5%
Insufficient cash 2 3%
Employment history 1 1%

How these reasons compare nationally →

Who gets approved at First National Bank

Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.

Applicant incomeApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under $50k946225.6%
$50k – $100k28222013.5%
$100k – $150k1641356.9%
$150k – $250k1631394.1%
Over $250k112856.6%
Applicant ageApplicationsOriginatedDecision denial rate
Under 2523204.8%
25–341199310.5%
35–4417713214.7%
45–5416412911.0%
55–641731447.1%
65–741108511.1%
Over 74614711.1%

Where First National Bank lends

2 states and 17 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.

StateApplicationsOriginatedDenial rateMedian rateRank in state
Maine9097218.8%7.50%#13

Frequently asked questions

First National Bank denied 9.9% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 50th percentile of small mortgage lenders.

The most common reason First National Bank gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 66.3% of its denials. Lenders report up to four reasons per denial to the CFPB; the full breakdown is on this page.

The median interest rate on loans First National Bank originated in 2025 was 7.50%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was 0.30 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.

In 2025, 41% of its applications were for home purchases, 18% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 41% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 98% conventional, 0% FHA, 1% VA.

Every figure on this page comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register published by the CFPB, which lenders are required by federal law to file. We add the grade and the comparisons; we do not add facts.

About this data. HMDA data is published once a year by the CFPB. The current release covers applications acted on in calendar year 2025. Figures describe applications the lender acted on, including loans it later sold. Interest rates and costs are medians on originated loans only; some depository institutions are exempt from reporting pricing fields, which is why a few cells read "—". MortgageGrades is not affiliated with First National Bank. Data sources · Methodology